Pilot-operated valve



sept- 23, 1952 P. SPENCE 2,6 1,218

PILOT-OPERATED VALVE Filed Oct. 1l, 1946 FULL OPE/VA 22 21 INVENTOR Paaiisen ,S oenae ATII'ORNEYS Patented Sept. 23 1952 'f .1

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I Y I V I.2,611,218 PILOT-OPERATED VALVE Paulscn Spence, Baton Rouge, La., assignor to Spence Engineering Company, Inc., Walden, N. Y.-,.a corporation of New York 7 Application October 11, 1946; Serial No. 702,813

' (Cl. sip-11) 2 Claims. l 1

My invention relates to regulating devices, and in particular to a regulating valve and" means for controlling the setting thereof. a

It is an object of my inve'ntion -to'provide an improved automatic regulating deviceof the character indicated. 7 I v It is another cbject'to' provide an improved regulator which may utilize essentially standard component parts and which need *not be subject to hunting or unstable operation.

Specifically, it is an object to provide an im proved valve-regulating mechanism that will respond to orders from an externally located motor-positioner to maintain a regulated new or pressure of fluid. v

Other objects and various further features of the invention will hereinaf-ter'be pointed out or will occur to those. skilled in theart from a reading of the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, which is a partly schematic sectional view illustrating'preferred forms of my invention.

Broadly speaking, my invention contemplates a regulator comprising a first or main valve cooperating with a second'or pilot valve by means of a rigid-body member directly associated with actuating elements of these valves and with an adjustable fulcrum. The first or main valve also includes pressure res'ponsive means for actuating the same in response to fluid pressures in the second valve. The arrangement is such that the main valve will tend to maintain a given flow rate or pressure for agiven setting of. the fulcrum. V 1

In the specific form to :be described; the pilotv'al-ve inlet is supplied with pressure-fluid from 'the main-valve inlet, and connection of the rigidbody member to the two valve actuators is direct and such that an opening of one valve is'ac'companied by a closing of the other,-and vice versa. A bleed connection is provided betweenthepilotvalve outlet and the main-valve outlet.

Referring to the drawing, my invention is shown in application to a first or main valve having a valve body 6 with a seat 1, centrally v located to define an inlet chamber 8 and an outlet chamber 9. A valve member or disc I0 00- operates with the seat 1 to control the rate of flow of a pressurized fluid from the inlet 8 to the outlet 9. The disc l0 may be carried by a stem i'l supported icy suitable guide-elements fil -i3 and connected to pressure-responsive acftuator means. In the form shownjthe pressureresponsive means includes a diaphragm" I lcapped mention.

. 2 a hood member (5;, which in turn may re secured to the valve body 6 as by means f a circumferential seal and by bolts l6. Resilient means such as a coil spring i1 normally urges the valve 5' to a closed position. The parts which have thus far been described are well known-in the art and, therefore, form n'o'part of myin- "In accordance with'tho invention, means are provided to position the valve disc Iii withr'espent to its seat 'i so as to maintain a regulated now or pressure in accordance with a'gi'ven oorn+ mand or setting. In the present example, this command is provided by a conventional electric motor-positioner l8 which furnishes orders in the form of angularpositions of a crank 19 between lirnits 20 and 2 I, representingfcIOsed" and full-open settings of the valve 5. I this control the crank ld may the linked as a member 22 to a rigid-body or lever 2 3,'whic'h' in turn may be directly associated with the actuating mechanism for the valve-5 and with the actuating mechanism for the pilot valve 23". The connections to lever 23 are such thatth'e crank l9 provides an adjustable fulcrum defining the nature of the cooperation between the two valves 5 and '23. For a given setting ofthe crank i9 a transient motion of the valve disc ID will beaccompanied' by a controlled supply of pressure fluid from the pilot valve 23 to the pressure-responsive actuating meansoi valvei, change in control pressure tends to ofiset the effect of the transient motion by applying a repositioning or balancing force to the valve disc I0. This tendency of the valve to balance holds for any position of the crank IS, the only difierenjce being that the balanced location of the valve disc It! with respect to the seat I will depend upon the commanding position of the crank 49.

In the form shown, the disc 24 of the pilot valve 23 is normally resiliently urged to a seated or closed position by resilient means such as a coil spring 25. Inlet pressure to the .pilotvalve 23 is supplied through a pipe 26 which is tapped preferably to the inlet or' upstream side of the valve 5. Controlled or outlet pressures from the pilot valve 23 are supplied directly to the pressure-responsive chamber defined by the hood l5 and the diaphragm l4", and a bleed 21 is provided'from this connection to the downstream or outlet'side 9 0i the valve 5. Directmechanical a follower or position-indicator rod 28, suitably 'To effect iii Assuming a substantially constant pressure at the inlet 8 of the valve 5, operation of myv fiowregulating mechanism is substantially as fol-' lows. Let us say that equilibrium conditions obtain for the half-way positioning shown for crank I9 and for the discs I and 24 of the valves and 23, and that the motor l8 now calls for a reduced fiow. This order will be transmitted by a downward swing of crank i9, causing the lever 23 first to rock about the pivotal support 3| as an instantaneous fulcrum, thereby permitting the valve disc 24 to approach its seat under the action of the resilient means 25. This partial closure of the valve 23' results in reduced outlet flow from the pilot valve 23, with resultant reduction in pressure over the diaphragm I 4. Action of the spring I! then prevails to effect a downward displacement of the valve stem II and of the disc l0 that it carries. Flow from the inlet 8 to the outlet 9 is immediately reduced and the lever 23 caused to rock again, but this time the rocking action is about its connection with the link 22 as a fulcrum. This motion oi the lever 23 slightly reopens the valve 23, and is followed by a correspondingly slight reopening of the valve disc i8, so as more nearly to approximate the flow rate ordered by the positioner-motor l8. Theoretically, this process of successively approximating the required position of the valve disc' l0 might continue indefinitely, but as a practical method the bleed connection 21 provides a smoothing effect so as to reduce hunting" between the valvesu Now, let it be assumed that there is a change in pressure at the inlet to the valve 5.' If this change is a drop, reduced pressure will be available under the diaphragm Hi, the valve disc in will tend to close, and resultant actuation of lever 23 will further open the pilot valve 23' so as to provide restoring pressure under the diaphragm I4. Due to reduced inlet pressure, the valve 5 will then be passing the required flow through a greater opening, as will be understood. In any case, whether the supply pressure is increwed or decreased, it is clear that the cooperative relation between valves 5 and 23' will be such as to position the valve disc [0 for a regulated flow which reflects the instantaneous orders given by the crank [9 of the positionermotor l8.

It will be seen that I have provided a relatively simple and improved automatic regulating device which may utilize essentially standard components to effect fiow regulation. Within limits of pressure-fluid supply potential, the device will tend to hold a preselected or ordered constant rate of flow or pressure, and the system need not be subject to hunting.

While I have described my invention in detail for the preferred form shown, it will be understood that modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined by the claimswhich follow.

I claim:

1. In a regulating valve, 9. main valve includ ing a body having a high-pressure side and a low-pressure side, a main-valve member for controlling the fiow of pressure fluid from the highpressure side to the low-pressure side, a fluidpressure-actuated member for actuating said valve member and having a high-pressure side and a low-pressure side, means including a pilotvalve member for conducting high-pressure fluid from the high-pressure side of said main valve to the high-pressure side of said fluid-pressure actuated member, bleed means for exhausting the high-pressure side of said fiuid-pressure-actuated member, a fulcrum adjustably positionable relatively to said valve body, selective positive positioning means for positioning said fulcrum in a selected desired position, a lever directly connected to said fulcrum, a first connecting member in direct actuating relation with said pilot-valve member and in direct following relation with said lever at a point spaced from the point of connection to said fulcrum, and a second connecting member in direct actuating relation with said lever at a point intermediate said spaced points and in direct following relation with said main-valve member, said pilot-valve member and said main-valve member being so connected to said lever that for a given adjusted positioning of said fulcrum one direction of lever movement will correspond to an opening movement of said pilot-valve member and to a closing movement of said main-valve member, while the opposite direction of lever movement will correspond to a closing movement of said pilot-valve member and to an opening movement of said main-valve member, so that the magnitude of correcting pilot-valve displacements may exceed the magnitude of corresponding corrected main-valve displacements, whereby relatively sensitive regu lation of said valve may be achieved.

2. In a regulating valve, a main-valve including a body having a high-pressure side and a low-pressure side, a main-valve member for controlling the fiow of pressure fiuid from the highpressure side to the low-pressure side, a fluidpressure-actuated member for actuating said valve member and having a high-pressure side and a, low-pressure side, means including a pilotvalve member for conducting control-pressure fluid to the high-pressure side of said fluidpressure actuated member, bleed means for exhausting the high-pressure side of said fluidpressure-actuated member, selective positive positioning means for positioning said fulcrum in a selected desired position, a lever directly connected to said fulcrum, a first connecting member in direct actuating relation with said pilotvalve member and in direct following relation with said lever at a point spaced from the point of connection to said fulcrum, and a second connecting member indirect actuating relation with said lever at a point intermediate said spaced points andin direct following-relation with said main-valve member, said pilot-valve said mainvalve member, so that the magnitude of correcting "pilot-valve displacements may ex- 1 ceed thefmagnitude of corresponding corrected main-valve displacements, whereby relatively sensitive regulation of said valve may be achieved.

PAULSEN SPENCE.

' REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number 

